Signal-lantern holder



(NdModeL) T. W. McNALLY. SIGNAL LANTERN HOLDER.

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PATENT EETQE.

THOMAS W. MCNALLY, OF BRISTOL, PENNSYLVANIA.

SIGNAL-LANTERN HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,991, dated April 23, 1895. Application filed February 2, 1895. Serial No. 687.068. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. MCNALLY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bristol, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lantern Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an eflicient holder for signal lanterns which have glasses of two or more colors, the holders being adapted to be used in railroadingupon cars or at signal stations.

The invention embodies the use of a suitable support having a rotary section to which the lantern is adapted to be connected, said rotary section having means for causing a shield to be moved toward the lantern so as to lie closely against one of the glasses when the lantern is in use, the shield having means for moving the same away from the lantern while the latter is being turned.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the'parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of a lantern-holder, constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, the lantern being removed, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig.' 2.

A designates a suitable bracket or support which is adapted to be secured to a car, signal station or to such places where signal lanterns are necessary or are commonly used. The

bracket supports a casing B the upwardly projecting rim of which is provided with outwardly bent portions 1) b, and adjacent to one of these projections is attached a spring b having an aperture near its free end.

At the center of the casing B is an aper ture or bearing for a spring-actuated shaft or pin carried by therotatable lantern-support hereinafter described,

The bracket or supporting-arm A is provided with upwardly-projecting lugs or ears abetween which is pivoted a dog B to which is secured an arm carrying a shield or screen B and this shield or screen is held normally away from the signal-lantern by means of a spring b which is attached to the dog and to the bracket A.

O designates a casing or section which has a dependingfiange or rim 0 adapted to fit within the casing B, and this depending flange is provided on opposite sides with outwardlyprojecting pins 0 c which are adapted to pass into the outwardly bent portions b ofthe casing B. The casing B is also provided with slots 1) which intersect the outwardly bent portions 1) so that when the section 0 is turned the pins 0 thereof will pass into the slots and permit one of them to engage the aperture in the spring I) to hold the parts B and C together.

Through the center of the section .0 extends a shaft or pin D to the lower portion of which is attached one end of a coiled spring 0'. the other end of which is secured to said section.

'To the upper part of the shaft is rigidly attached a lever E, and to the shaft above the lever is rigidly secured the rotatable lanternsupport or holder F.

.The manner of connecting the lamp to the holder F is the same as is employed for connecting the parts B and 0 together.

The section 0 is provided with an upwardlyprojecting portion or rim 0 which is cut away on one side to permit the movement of the lever E, the part cut away being only sufficient to permit the lever to move a quarter of a circle so that the rotary movement of the lantern-support will be limited.

The lantern-support is provided with two depending cams f and f which are adapted to contact with the upper edge of the dog B when the lantern-support is turned to the limit of its movement in either direction so as to throw the shield or screen carried by the dog against one of the glasses of the lantern, the space between the cams allowing the shield or screen to be automatically moved away from the lantern so as not to interfere with the movement thereof.

The lantern used is of the ordinary type, being square, and is adapted to be secured to its support F in the manner hereinbefore mentioned. When the lantern is removed the support F may carry a signal board or plate.

It will be noted that the support for the lantern and the lever E move in unison, and the lever is operated by a suitable connection, and should the connection betweenthe lever and signal station be broken the coiled spring a will move the support so that the lantern will be in position to indicate danger. Two or more of these lantern holders may be used on a train and the levers thereof connected to a supplemental lever so that the several lanterns can be operated by a single movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signal lantern, the combination,of a holder havinga rotatable section to which the signal lamp is secured, and a shield or screen operated by the rotatable section so as to move the same toward the signal-lamp.

2. A holder for signallanterns having a suitable bracket or support which carries a rotatable lamp-holder and a shield or screen, the rotatable lamp-holder having cams which engage with the shieldor screen and move the same toward the signal-lantern when the holder reaches the limit of its movement, the;

shield or screen being adapted to automatically move away from the lantern during its movement.

3. In combination with a bracket or support having a casing or socket, of a signallantern holding device having a shaft, a spring connected to the shaft, and a lever secured to one of the parts and having its movement limited by engagement with the other part, the parts being separable, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. MCNALLY. lVitnesses:

S. W. GEOFF, J OHN McOoY. 

